Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Made It! Kale Quinoa Salad

I just started eating quinoa a few months ago after I discovered its interesting texture, taste, and nutrient-rich profile. But I was getting sick of my usual, boring preparation of just cooking it in chicken broth and serving it plain on the side of a protein. This Kale Quinoa Salad, however, has rekindled my love for the ancient grain. The flavors were so bold and melded beautifully together. In one bite I could taste the bitterness from the kale, the sweetness from the dried fruit, the spiciness from the red pepper flakes, the tartness from the lemon, the tangy-ness from the balsamic, and the saltiness from, well...the salt. This dish was so good I made it again for lunch the next day. I loved knowing I was eating such a healthy meal that would keep me full for hours. What's even better, is that it is so easy to make that it's guaranteed to be delicious, even on your first attempt.


I made a few substitutions to this recipe simply because I didn't have some of the ingredients. Instead of currants, I used dried cherries. I was worried the tart flavors of the cherries would clash with the lemon zest, but I actually tasted more of their sweetness. When I went to the grocery store, pine nuts were selling for $9 for what looked to be like a handful. I was aghast by this crazy high price so I decided to just use the almonds I had stored in my freezer. It was great! I didn't miss the pine nuts at all. To serve, I took Lisa's suggestion of mounding the kale mixture over the quinoa so I could decide what proportion of quinoa to kale I would like for each bite. I also seared a chicken breast to make it feel like a more complete meal. This extra protein, however, was not needed since the quinoa itself is protein-packed. My final addition to this dish was to serve it with some Crispy Kale Chips. When broiled to a crisp, kale takes on a very nutty and rich flavor. I love that I feel like I'm eating potato chips, but knowing I actually giving my body a healthy dose of vitamins. In the end, I was ultimately impressed that such a delicious dish only took me 15-20 minutes to prepare from start to finish.

7 comments:

  1. Sash, that is hilarious. I was just telling Stacey how delicious quinoa is and that I wanted to make it. Sure enough 1 day later and you guys pop up with a recipe and result. :)

    Also we have started using Kale instead of spinach in a lot of dishes after reading your recipes.

    Keep up the great work, my stomach thanks you!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I made this dish (minus quinoa) last night as a side with cous cous and pork chops. It is an easy recipe - it all came together in less than 20 minutes and I did this after an exhausting 12+ hrs shift in the hospital.

    I like you modifications - I think it is great that you adapt recipes to fit your needs. I will have to try the cherries and almonds one day! Pine nuts are expensive but I like to make pesto with them so I buy them in bulk at Costco and then freeze them. This is a great tip for all nuts, freezing helps to prevent the fat from becoming rancid. Another money saver!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Josh, I'm so glad you like the dishes we're posting. I didn't like kale until my sister started finding interesting, flavorful preparations. Definitely give the kale crisps a try :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Made it! As an extreme novice in the kitchen, this dish came out great the first time. I was almost too lazy to put lemon zest on top, but am so glad I did, it really made a huge different. I also love the kick that comes from the red pepper flakes. Thanks you guys! Look forward to making more recipes!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Rachael, I am glad you liked it! It's become one of my favorite dishes. Did you follow my recipe or my sisters - just curious?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Lisa!
    I used your recipe. The pine nuts were delicious. Look forward to trying out more recipes!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sash, I made this using dried cherries. I also added some swiss chard to the kale. It's just as good as I remember the original to be!

    ReplyDelete